Indigo Weaver and the 1st Quarter Quell
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: I mentioned in Victor of Victors that a common thief named Indigo Weaver from District 8 won the 1st Quarter Quell. This is how he did it. Happy Reading!
1. Chapter 1: The Quell Announcement

**Chapter 1: The Quell Announcement**

Indigo Weaver dropped into his abandoned, underground trailer and stayed absolutely still. After about three minutes, he heard footsteps approach. They paused for a moment before moving on again, mixed with some cursing.

Indigo sighed with relief, and then chuckled, amused. He drove the Peacekeepers mad whenever he stole something from the Square in District 8. It was a daily routine of swiping, with occasionally chases when he was caught happening at least once a week, twice at most. He turned to his claimed item: a banana and some cornbread for supper and began to eat. In his sixteen years of life, he had only been caught and placed in the brig 3 times by Peacekeepers. He did not intend to be caught a fourth time. And, frankly, he did not even see why it was wrong for him to steal, to be a thief. He had been an orphan for as long as he could remember. Stealing was life: if he didn't steal, he didn't eat.

As the sun began to set, Indigo could hear the Capitol anthem blaring even from here at the outskirts of town. Sighing, he flicked on the screen of the battered old television he had managed to scavenge from a dumpster in the middle of the night six years prior. Technically, he did not have to watch the mandatory Capitol viewing, as he was so removed from the district. And, usually, he did not. But, sometimes - sometimes - he did so just to amuse himself and laugh at the dumb, vain folks of the Capitol. Besides, tonight was no ordinary night. For weeks now, it had been said that Panem President Artemus Dore would be making a special announcement. Rumor had it that it had something to do with the annual Hunger Games, a sadistic competition in which 24 boys and girls from the country's 12 districts were forced into an arena to fight to the death until only one remained.

Sure enough, the Panem seal appeared on the screen, followed immediately, by President Dore at a podium. He addressed the nation:

"Greetings, Panem! This is the 25th year of the Hunger Games. When this contest was first envisioned, a special edition of the Games was planned for every quarter-century. It will be known as the Quarter Quell, and shall serve as a reminder of why the districts failed in their rebellion. I am pleased to preside over this inaugural and historic event." He gestured to a small boy who brought forward a golden box. Inside were rows and rows of envelopes, of which Dore picked one on the far left marked with a 25. Indigo's eyes narrowed. Whoever had envisioned this sick context must have planned for centuries of them. Dore opened the flap and procured a small card. Without even pausing he announced, "On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district will be made to hold an election, and vote on the tributes who will represent it. This will replace the traditional reaping process."

The program ended almost immediately following. Indigo stared at the now blank screen. No reaping this year…this was new. He had been made to attend the reapings every year, especially since he had become eligible for the Games four years earlier. Sometimes, Peacekeepers had had to catch him out on the prowl and drag him to the Square. Other times, they had coerced him to come, on the promise that they would look the other way when he stole for a certain period of time - often a week or a month at most.

Indigo did not know what this "election" would entail, but somehow he had the suspicion that it would mean nothing good.


	2. Chapter 2: The Reaping Election

**Chapter 2: The "Reaping"/Election**

On the day that traditionally belonged to the Reaping, the citizens of District 8 met inside a gallery of the Mayor's mansion, instead of in the Square outside. A small podium had been set up, to accommodate the main people. Indigo observed all this from his place among the 16-year-old boys. On the stage, he could see Mayor Quaillen and his family, the district's escort, and two people - a man and a woman - in chairs off to the side. Quaillen stood and approached the microphone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Now, I only know as much as you do about how this will work. This is new to all of us. So, please, bear with us." He had a mousy face that only matched his timid personality.

The beginning of this election was identical to any other reaping: Quaillen began with the traditional Dark Days speech, outlining the District's rebellion and defeat by the Capitol. Then, he listed the previous District 8 victors, gesturing to the seated man and woman to his left. In 25 years, they had had exactly two, both of whom were still alive: Woof Casino, a young man of 25 who had been born at the end of the rebellion and had won 8 years ago. His victory was hollow at best; he had hid the entire time. He was medium in height and skinny, but strong. He had a pointy, hawkish nose, full bony cheekbones, a strong jaw and a broad forehead. His black hair was combed back as far as it could go, and clashed somewhat with his pale skin. Then, there was Savera Inchcape, a beautiful woman of 34 who had won 8 years before Woof and mentored him through his Games. She was tall and slender, with long olive-toned legs, slim waist, a button nose and full breasts. Her brown hair was thick, luscious and flowing - matched with a round pretty face and sparkling brown eyes. At this rate, you could not have blamed District 8 for expecting a win this year. But, the crowd looked too morose for that.

As Quaillen droned on, Indigo scowled. He really did not want to be here. But, one look at the Peacekeeper the end of his row (who had been especially assigned to watch him) and he knew he would have to sit it out.

The speech finally ended, and the escort made to stand. Then, remembering that there was to be no reaping, she sat back down, embarrassed. Quaillen spoke:

"Now, for this election, we have decided to nominate our tributes. Anyone can nominate whoever they wish: provided they raise their hand first and wait to be called upon." He certainly did not want the nominating contest to devolve into a shouting match or worse something violent. "Then, we will call for a vote by vocal affirmation. Ays will mean we have our tribute. Nays and we will continue until we have a tribute. We'll start with the girls. Are there any nominations?" Silence reigned for about a full minute until a mill worker off to the side raised his hand. Quaillen nodded in his direction.

"I nominate Adara Nadiri," he called out. Everyone immediately looked over to the 12 year old girls. A beautiful little thing with luscious blonde hair instantly began to cry. Then, there was a commotion as a gentleman in wealthy clothes pushed through the crowd toward the mill worker, intent on strangling him. Obviously, he was Mr. Nadiri. Peacekeepers held him back. Quaillen did not miss a beat.

"All in favor, please say Ay!" A significant cry of "Ays" went up. "All opposed say Nay." This was weaker and dominated mostly by the wealthy elite of the district. "The Ays have it!" Quaillen announced, and Adara was brought to the stage.

Indigo looked down and sighed. He should have not put it past the people of 8 to nominate someone of higher status. The Nadiris ran the main textile factory in town, and were generally viewed as Capitol-smooshing snobs by the poorer common people. Sacrificing their daughter to the Games was the perfect form of payback.

"And now for the boys." Quaillen did not even have to ask for nominations this time before several hands shot up. He picked a raggedy woman near the front.

"I nominate the Weaver brat!" she croaked out. At this, a riot practically ensued as roars of approval went up. "Yes, yes, make the street rat go!" "We want Indigo Weaver!" Nobody paid any attention to Indigo himself, as his mouth fell open in shock. Quaillen had to bellow into a megaphone to call for a vote.

"All in favor, please say Ay!" The chorus in response was deafening. "All opposed say Nay!" Complete and utter silence. "The Ays have it!" The Peacekeepers almost gleefully seized Indigo and hauled him up onto the stage to stand next to Adara. The Head Peacekeeper sneered down at the boy.

"I can't wait to see you run to your death, street rat."

"Go to hell!" hissed Indigo at him. "You and your fucking district!" The Head Peacekeeper just shrugged, and before Indigo knew it, he, Adara, Woof and Savera were being escorted to the train. Soon, District 8 was being left far behind, Indigo still in disbelief that he had been turned over by his own people.


	3. Chapter 3: The Training

**Chapter 3: The Training**

As the train sped along, Avoxes served the District 8 victors and tributes. Indigo had not had such great food in his entire life, and that was saying something. He had pulled off some spectacular thefts in his time, including the best food District 8 had had to offer. At long last, Savera set her napkin down.

"Alright, let's get to work," she quipped. "I'm Savera Inchcape, victor of the 9th Games, and this is my partner, Woof, victor of the 17th." Woof gave a vertical salute in greeting. Indigo just sulked. He already knew who they were; what was the point of introductions? "And you are Adara and Indigo. So, our first question for you is this: what are your strengths and weaknesses? Please answer as thoroughly as you can; it will only help Woof and I know what to do with you." She turned to Adara kindly. "What can you do, sweetheart?"

"I can hide," gulped Adara. "I always won at hide and seek when playing in the factory." Indigo wanted to laugh. Did this kid really expect the Games to take place in an abandoned factory?

"That's it, I guess," Adara finished. "I can't handle any weapons."

"Then you must learn," Savera instructed. "Learn as much as you can from the weapons stations in the Training Center. Woof and I can also teach you." Then she turned to Indigo. He was about to speak when she held up a hand. "I already know what you can do: you're hella good at stealing. And that can only come in handy if you want to tip advantage away from other players, especially the Careers."

"And I'm fast," Indigo piped up, wanting to get a word in edgewise.

"Well, that's unsurprising, given that I can count the number of times you've been in the slammer on one hand," Woof drawled. "Can you do anything with weapons?" Indigo glowered at him.

"I don't think you're in a position to ask me that," he sneered. "Seeing as you're only here because you hid like a coward the whole damn time." A moment, then suddenly -

WHAM! Woof hurled a butter knife in Indigo's direction. The boy ducked, so that the utensil impaled itself into the wall.

"You're forgetting, boy, that I had to kill one tribute - everybody has to kill at least one if they want to win. And that right there was what I did to kill off my last competitor. She didn't duck as quickly as you. Try and remember that they next time you say something smart-ass." Indigo was so stunned that he could only nod.

"Now," Woof continued, as though the altercation had never happened. "What can you do with weapons?"

"Umm…I can use knives…to break into places at least" Indigo responded sheepishly. It was true that he had used small ones and sometimes screwdrivers to pick the locks during late night break-ins.

"Then your task is the same as Adara's: go to the weapons stations. Specifically, be sure to learn how to use knives in hand-to-hand combat. Do the same for any other small weapons, and try your hand at a few big ones as well. Stealing and running are fine, but they won't get you kills - and they can only serve you so much in the arena, anyway. Any training you get, any skills you learn over the next three days might just mean the difference between life and death later on." Indigo nodded, having discovered a new respect for the young man across from him.

* * *

The train finally arrived in the Capitol the next day. Reporters swarmed the tributes and their mentors as they were whisked to the Training Center in the heart of the city. Just outside, they were prepped for the traditional Tribute Parade. Indigo met his stylist, Augustus, and was fitted for a costume that looked like a giant piece of tile. He groaned. So demeaning, he thought. But, at least he looked better than Adara. The tile costume was so big, the little girl was practically covered by it.

The parade began well. When Indigo and Adara were introduced, the Capitol folks chortled. There were also some Awws as people stared at Adara, easily one of the youngest tributes there. And as Indigo looked about him, he had to admit they were one of the better-dressed districts. The costumes of 7, 10 and 12 looked downright humiliating.

Once the parade was over, the tributes were hustled into the Training Center and shown their rooms - some of the most luxurious Indigo had ever seen.

* * *

Training began next morning. Indigo and Adara arrived right on time to find about half of their competition already there. Indigo eyed the tributes from 1, 2 and 4. For the past fifteen years or so, he heard whispers that they were being trained for the Games since childhood, though it was technically against the rules. However, since these were the wealthiest and most Capitol-supportive districts, no one bothered to enforce the rule. They had recently been given a nickname: the Careers. And like it or not, the winner of this Quell thing would be one of them.

Adara and Indigo went right for the weapons station, as Woof and Savera had instructed. Unfortunately, so did the Careers. Indigo tried to avoid eye contact with the others as he listened to the instructor: "In the hands of an expert, a good knife has a 1,001 uses…" Indigo quickly learned moves like thrusting and parrying, and found that he took to it quite well. He did his best to hide it as much as possible though, as he was sure the Careers were watching to see what he could and could not do. He also mastered slingshots, small maces, and even learned how to competently fire a crossbow. He then moved on to some bigger weapons, following Woof's advice. As he experimented with a medium-sized broadsword, he happened to notice Adara try to pick up a javelin at least 3 times her height. She struggled to lift it and stumbled back, landing on her butt. A laugh jarred Indigo from his thoughts.

"You're crazy, runt. Let the experts handle these," the big brutish boy from District 4 chortled. And with that, he lifted the javelin as though it were a toothpick, nearly taking Adara with it. Adara fell back on the floor. But before the boy, whose name was Aelius, could chuck the thing, Adara fought back. She beat on the boy's stomach with her fist.

"Give it back! I had it first!"

"Oh no, kid, just let it go…" Indigo groaned under his breath, but it was too late. Aelius seemed to take pleasure in this tussle. He burst out laughing and pushed Adara back on the ground. Adara began to cry, which made Aelius and his Career buddies laugh even louder.

"I don't like this, I wanna go home, I want my mama…" - a lament that seemed to encourage the Careers more than anything. Aelius began to taunt her.

"Oh, you want your Mama? Then, you'll have to win against me!" More laughs and Adara just sobbed harder. Finally, Indigo had had enough.

"Leave her alone!" he yelled. The entire Center dissolved into silence. Aelius looked back. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You should learn to mind your own business, 8." he growled.

"My district partner. Officially my business," Indigo responded flatly. Aelius's grip on the javelin tightened. "Maybe your ears don't work so well, scrawny," he jeered.

"Yeah," Indigo responded. Then: "It's a shame my nose works just fine."

"You-" Before anyone could stop him, Aelius hurled the javelin at Indigo. Like before on the train, Indigo ducked…but his reflexes now went farther. Astonishingly, he managed to pluck the javelin out of the air, halting its trajectory. Some of the Careers looked stunned. Aelius, only surprised but unfazed, now charged. Indigo thought quickly. He used the javelin as a springboard, plunging its tip into the ground and using inertia to propel himself over Aelius's head. He managed to grab chains hanging from the ceiling, and swung on them like vines, now moving on to run on the catwalks above. As he moved, he almost forgot he was in training and not running from the Peacekeepers back home. He allowed his body to take over. Not thinking, he jumped down and onto Aelius's head, literally running over him. Aelius lunged at him, but Indigo bravely dodged and then barreled into him, managing to knock the boy down.

Everyone else in the Training Center was cheering now. The Trainers, however, were not amused, and quickly broke up the fight.

"You're the first dead in the arena, 8, so watch your back, huh?!" Aelius roared angrily. Indigo just smirked. Some of the other tributes surrounded him and congratulated him. The other Careers, meanwhile, were now in a tight huddle; God only knew what they were planning. Adara ran up to Indigo and hugged him around the waist.

"Thank you!" she said, staring up at him adoringly. "Can I ally with you, Indigo?" Indigo could only laugh and ruffled the little girl's hair in affirmation.


	4. Chapter 4: The Interviews

**Chapter 4: The Interviews**

The reaction to Indigo's stunt was mixed on the part of the District 8 team. Savera was not pleased ("The Careers will only target you now, Indigo! You should not have antagonized that boy…), but Woof was rather impressed. This latter point seemed to annoy Savera all the more, to the point where Indigo overheard them bickering about it one night as he was falling asleep. They fight like they're a married couple, he thought as he drifted off.

The rest of the training passed uneventfully, although Indigo got his fair share of dirty looks from Aelius. On the last day of training, the tributes were brought in one by one for their individual session with the Gamemakers. Indigo went in and showed all he had learned about weaponry. He then made to show off his speed, until one of the Gamemakers interrupted saying, "No need! We've heard enough about that!" That night at dinner, Adara explained how she had wielded some weapons as well. Later, Caesar Flickerman announced the training scores. Adara got a respectable 7, and Indigo got a 9…putting him right in among the Careers.

With training done, focus now shifted to preparing for the interviews. Here, though Adara and Indigo had not requested it, Savera and Woof coached them separately. Woof advised Indigo to be sly and mysterious, with a tad of cocky. Indigo accomplished this to great effect, and Woof seemed convinced that it was this attitude that could interest sponsors.

* * *

The night of the interviews came at last. Caesar Flickerman had a wonderful opening spiel about this new, historic version of the Games. And then he moved right into the interviews. Only a few stood out to Indigo. He didn't know why, but he paid more attention as Aelius was being questioned. His strategy was not that different from Indigo's own, except it was not cocky - it was arrogant. And, of course, Indigo dutifully listened as Adara spoke. She was the sentimental favorite for sure. Everyone thought she was so cute, even though it was all but certain she had almost no chance of winning. Finally, the buzzer sounded and Indigo was up.

"And here is Indigo Weaver!" Caesar announced. Indigo took his seat to thunderous applause. "Now, Indigo, tell me: we have heard that you caused quite a stir at the Training Center. Care to elaborate?"

Indigo smiled and shook his head. "Not unless you want a javelin thrown at you by Aelius, like what I had to put up with." The audience roared and Indigo noticed, with great satisfaction, Aelius scowl.

"What was your life like back in District 8?" Oooh. No more fun and games here. Indigo became more serious.

"I'm an orphan. I often had to steal to survive. I was the Peacekeeper's most wanted back home, but I usually didn't get caught. Everyone in my district hated me: I guess I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when they nominated me for the Quell." There were a few sighs of sympathy.

"Is there any resentment there?" Caesar pressed.

"Of course. But there are things I'd like to say about that that I can't say on television."

"Well, if you win this thing, maybe you can prove your people wrong." Caesar encouraged. Indigo shrugged and gave a small smile.

"Maybe. I'll do my best."

The buzzer sounded and Indigo took his seat.

* * *

Later that evening, Indigo was just finishing getting ready for bed - and the arena that awaited him the next day when there was a knock on his door. Adara was on the other side.

"Indigo? I had a nightmare. Can…can I sleep with you?"

Indigo exhaled and nodded. Adara scampered into his bed and he followed. She snuggled close to him in the darkness.

"Indigo?"

"Hmmm?"

"For the record, not everybody hates you. I don't hate you."

Indigo blinked and smiled. "Well…thanks, Adara."

"Goodnight."

"Night."


	5. Chapter 5: Into the Arena

**Chapter 5: Into the Arena**

The next morning, the tributes were roused and placed into a chopper to head for the arena. Trackers were injected into each tribute's arm. Indigo winced.

As soon as they arrived, the tributes were placed in their own individual launching rooms. Augustus helped Indigo into his thick trousers and insulated jacket. As he prepped, Indigo thought back to that morning when he and Adara had said goodbye to Savera and Woof. She had hugged Adara and told her to take care of herself. Woof had taken Indigo aside and given him some last little bits of advice. "You can do this, Indigo," he had said.

Indigo pondered. Did that mean that, between their two tributes, the District 8 victors had placed their hope in him to win? Possibly.

Claudius Templesmith, the announcer, called for 10 seconds to launch. Indigo was sealed inside his tube lift. Almost immediately, it began to rise. Sunlight soon blinded him, and his eyes adjusted to behold a vast canyon. Rushing water roaring in his ears made him look back. Directly behind him rushed a deluge of liquid. A waterfall. His metal plate was on a rocky outcropping sticking out of the wall of water about halfway up from the bottom. The Cornucopia lay 9, maybe 10 feet below, amongst and rising up out of the body of water at the bottom that soon transformed into a river flowing fast into the canyon beyond.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 25th Hunger Games begin!" The timer counted down. Indigo looked about him, knowing he had only a minute to collect his bearings. He was flanked on his right and left by two tributes on similar outcroppings in the waterfall: the boy from 5 and the girl from 9. Beyond them and slightly below were two more; their outcroppings stuck out from the cliff face. Indigo peered over the edge. A sixth jut of rock stuck out from the waterfall directly below him, maybe five feet. One look at the flash of blonde hair and he knew it was Adara. She'd have only a four-foot drop or so into the pool that contained the Cornucopia. As for him…how was he going to get down without killing himself? All the other tributes were on solid ground that stretched out around the river and pool. There was only one thing to do. He'd have to make a jump for it, aiming for the pool below and hoping the water was soft enough to break his fall without killing him.

"5…4…3…2…1…" The gong sounded. Indigo took a deep breath and flung himself off the outcropping. He flew through the air, plunging straight down into the pool below. He heard a scream just before he hit the water. Thankfully, the pool was plenty deep. He quickly reversed trajectory and surfaced, gasping. He swam for the Cornucopia, his motions quickly turning into wading. Tributes were already seizing weapons and hacking away at each other.

Suddenly, he heard a yell and whirled around to see the boy from 7 as he lunged at him with a knife. Indigo dodged and tackled him the way he had done Aelius back in the Training Center. Both boys fell back into the water. The knife spun out of the boy's hands and Indigo caught it in his teeth. Thinking fast, he held the boy under the water and after a few minutes, he felt his body go limp as he drowned.

Indigo continued on, now with a weapon, and quickly began to scale the Cornucopia. Having height as an advantage like at the start of the Games would only help him. He reached the top of the giant horn and surveyed the carnage below. Most of the tributes were fighting. The way the arena had been set up, a small portion could have made a run for it, but only by going downriver and into the canyon.

A gasp made him wheel around. The tributes from 3 had had a similar idea. They spotted Indigo and rushed him. Indigo quickly slashed the girl across the throat, dispatching her. The boy bull rushed Indigo and grabbed him. Indigo yelped as a sword buried itself in his leg. He quickly stabbed the boy in the neck as they tumbled head over heels backwards, tripping over the girl. The landed on the horn with such force that they separated; Indigo saw the white, dead eyes of the boy as he himself bounced and slid off the horn and back into the pool. He struggled in the water as the current claimed him. Dodging past legs and bodies of tributes, he was pulled directly into the strong tide of the river, past the carnage. He quickly came up for air as the rapids flung him downstream. Finally, about half a mile away, he seized a rock and used it to pull himself up and out onto shore. He then took off running.

The sword still buried his leg impeded his progress, but not dangerously. He was still able to keep a pretty good pace as he put as much distance as possible between himself and the tributes. Soon after, Indigo spotted a cave at the one side of the canyon and went inside to catch his breath. With one brave stroke, he yanked the District 3 boy's sword out of his leg. He at least had a weapon, having lost his knife in the bloodbath. He could make do; he had become pretty good with swords.

Morning had just turned into afternoon when the cannons started. Boom…Boom…Indigo counted carefully. It seemed to go on forever. He reached 18 when the cannons halted. Unbelievable. That was the most to die in a bloodbath ever! There would be no Final 8 this year; most Games, about half of the tributes died in that first fight - but never three-quarters!

Indigo thought back over what had happened once the gong had sounded. There had been a scream…probably it was Adara. Had she been killed outright? If she had, he hoped that she went quickly and not at the hands of the Careers.

His answer would come sooner than expected. As the sun set, the anthem began to play. Face after face appeared in the sky. The girl from 1. Both from 3, the ones Indigo had killed. The girl from 4. Both from 5, 6, and 7. The girl from 9…that meant Adara had made it! Way to go, kid, Indigo thought to himself. The boy from 9. Both from 10 through 12.

Indigo sat back and pondered more. Adara had survived. She was so small and it was so chaotic, no one probably noticed her as she slipped off. But where could she have gone? Did she have a weapon? The others…Aelius was alive, and so was the boy from 1 and both from 2. Indigo was surprised that any Careers had fallen in the bloodbath, much less two. But, they had been the weaker ones; he had watched them in training.

Now that so many were dead, though, the Careers would focus on finding him and Adara. More than likely, they would start with him first. Indigo hoped that he could take a few more tributes with him when the time came…then maybe, if Adara hid, she could outlast whoever remained.

A thump made him look up. A parachute had landed; a gift from a sponsor! Indigo seized it and found medicine. He had almost completely forgotten about his leg and set to work healing it. Soon, the gash in his thigh was just an ugly scar.

When that was done, an exhausted Indigo curled up in his cave and fell asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Victor viewing room, Savera watched Woof from her chair as he stood and observed Indigo mending his wound. All the other mentors - including the Career ones who at least still had a stake in the game - had gone to bed, leaving them alone.

"Well done," she told him. "You got a great sponsor there."

"Well done to both of us," Woof smiled. "Having both of our tributes survive the worst bloodbath in history is something to be proud of."

"Only because of your advice to Indigo."

"And your sweet treatment of Adara."

"Hey, don't discredit yourself…"

"Neither should you. You're better at this than I am."

"Nonsense. You…"

"It's true and you know it." Woof said firmly.

Savera blinked. Never before had they argued over complimenting each other. Usually, their quarrels were bitter and divisive. This new change made her smile. "Thank you," she said quietly.

She glanced down at her lap, when suddenly, she felt a hand on her chin. Her face was turned so she was staring at Woof. He bent forward and kissed her on the mouth. Savera's eyes widened, as Woof's lips molded and flowed against her own. She tentatively and awkwardly reciprocated, growing in confidence with every capture and release of their lips. Their mouths explored each other. Savera closed her eyes and pulled Woof's face to her, finally having the courage to openly kiss him back. She tried to get him into her lap, but Woof had other ideas. He dragged her to her feet and with assertiveness she had never seen in him before, pulled her flush against him. His hand moved down from the small of her back in a passionate and seductive caress to heavily pet and then boldly cup her bum. Savera's breath hitched, but she was in for another shock when Woof's tongue flicked out against her lips, demanding entrance. Taken aback, Savera gave a small nod and opened her mouth the grant him access. Woof plunged his tongue forcefullly inside, nearly making her gag. Next second, his hand had raised her one leg up by his hip and then with great strength, he lifted her into the air. Savera gave a tiny squeak into his maw, and she instinctively wrapped both her long legs around his waist as they staggered back into the far wall. Now somewhat supported, Savera lowered her legs back to Earth. Meanwhile, Woof was dry humping her center, imitating sex. His mouth flew from hers so fast that Savera whimpered, even as his lips moved down to tease the flesh at her neck.

"Woof…" Savera hissed, as a thought suddenly came to her. She could feel his one hand rubbing at her thigh, beckoning her legs to spread apart.

"Hmmm?" Woof purred as he pressed his bulging manhood against her groin. Savera moaned. As she inhaled oxygen, logic came with it, and she had the resilience to purposefully, but reluctantly, push Woof away.

"It's not that I don't want this," she explained. Indeed, she was among a few victors who had never married. Hell, she had never been kissed before. Both of these facts, along with her and Woof's 9 year age difference, made what had just transpired all the more exciting. "But we have a job to do. Both of our tributes are still alive out there and we have a chance to get one of them out alive. We focus on that and then maybe we can resume this new relationship after the Games." Woof nodded. He understood. Both of them sat back down at their posts, almost expecting a mentor or Peacekeeper to come in at any moment. Savera smiled.

"Hey." When Woof turned to her, she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. Her hand squeezed his. "How long have you…?"

"Since the end of my Games," he explained. Savera nodded. She was on the older side for marriage, but that did not mean there was still a chance. She thought she might like this new relationship with her fellow victor.


	6. Chapter 6: The Victor

**Chapter 6: The Victor**

Indigo awoke the next morning feeling well-rested. There was a soreness in his right leg now from the sword wound, but he was confident that would abate with time.

He surveyed the area from within his cave, thinking to himself. His one failure from the bloodbath had been to obtain a backpack. He would have more supplies and possibly some food if he had. That left his next order of business clear. He was starving anyway.

The boy set off along the rocky canyon floor. The sun beat down upon him, and he was desperately tempted to drink from the river that he now followed. The only thing that stopped him was a bit of advice that he had received during training: never assume an edible substance is not poisonous. The Gamemakers were up to all kinds of tricks, and Indigo would not have been surprised if they had tainted such a seemingly excellent source of freshwater.

At long last, he spotted a bunny rabbit by some shrubs and quietly snuck up on it. Despite being out in the open, his silence - brought up by many years of thieving - served him well, and he killed the little beast quickly with his sword. But how would he cook it?

Glancing briefly up at the sun, Indigo got an idea. Using his glasses, he managed to reflect sunlight onto the corpse until the light caught the thing on fire. Thus, he crudely cooked his meal, impaling it on a stick and plunging it into the river to cool it.

As he ate, Indigo had more time to think. He always kept his sword at the ready in case a tribute or worse a mutation appeared. He wondered where the Careers were. Likely, they were at the Cornucopia, guarding the horde of supplies for themselves. And if not that, they were on the prowl, hunting for him and Adara.

A rustle made him jump to his feet. Something was hiding behind those bushes to his left. He drew his sword and called out, "Come on out, whoever you are!" He waited for a Career to appear and ambush him…but it was only Adara!

"Kid!" Indigo called with joy, and the little girl ran into his arms.

"Oh, I knew I'd find you! I just knew it!" she shrieked excitedly. Indigo chuckled.

"I was so glad when I saw you were alive! What happened to you?"

"When the gong sounded, I slipped and fell off my plate into the water. I screamed, but then I kept quiet and stayed underneath the water for as long as possible. Everyone else was so busy fighting, no one bothered with me." She paused and said more quietly, "I saw you kill that boy with the knife, and then climb onto the Cornucopia. Then, someone spotted me, so I swam and ran for it. I waded out of the pool and went for the cliffs and its shadows. I've been following it and the river ever since."

Indigo nodded, then gestured to the backpack over her shoulder. "How did you get that, then?"

"It fell in the water while I was hiding; someone must have dropped it. Anyway, I snatched it up and took it with me." She sat on the ground and opened it. "My haul wasn't so bad, either." She emptied the pack's contents. Indigo noticed packets of corned beef, a small crossbow with a dozen arrows, a sheet of folded camouflage material that might have been a tent, binoculars, an empty canteen and a small bottle of a substance he did not recognize. He picked this latter item up and examined it.

"I don't know what's in it. All I know is that it purifies any water I put in my canteen so its safe to drink."

So the river water was posionous. Indigo nodded as he uncorked the bottle and sniffed. Ah, this was iodine, and he explained this to Adara.

"You have not done bad, kid. Not bad at all. I'm proud of you." Adara beamed at him.

The pair trekked back to Indigo's cave. Adara explained that she had yet to receive a sponsor gift, which Indigo found amazing given her resourcefulness. He told her about the wound in his leg, and the medicine he had received for it.

There was no need to talk of being allies as they entered the cool cavern. That had been decided long ago. As they curled up and fell asleep, Indigo thought that maybe they could beat the Careers and win this Quell.

* * *

There were no faces in the sky that night. The next day, Indigo managed to spear some fish with his sword. Then, he and Adara carefully distributed iodine over the fish to purify an water residue. The fish was also cooked with Indigo's sunlight technique for good measure.

"That should get rid of the poison so its safe to eat," Indigo concluded. As they feasted, he explained his plan for the day to his ally. "I want to go back to the horn, and spy on the Careers' camp. I'll let you go on two conditions: first, you have to let me carry you at all times. I am good at keeping my movements quiet, but I'm not so sure about you - and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Second, you need to do exactly as I say."

"Ok," Adara said quietly. As soon as breakfast was over, Indigo placed Adara on his back and began to boldly climb the canyon wall. After several hours, they reached the top. They quickly discovered a small pond and drank after using iodine. Indigo wasn't sure if they should even be up here; the force field marking the edge of the arena was likely to be on this plane. Yet, he figured, the Gamemakers would have stopped them somehow if they had not wanted them venturing into this territory. Indigo now jogged along the top of the cliff, Adara bouncing against him. Finally, the Cornucopia and the waterfall came into view far below. The District 8 tributes stayed a short distance away and kept low to the ground.

"Binoculars," Indigo whispered, though the roar of the waterfall might conceal their voices even at this distance, and brought the goggles into focus once they had been handed to him. He observed Aelius and the other Careers picking over the supplies. Aelius was pacing back and forth, as if he was waiting for something. That was when Indigo counted three instead of four. Where was the girl from 2?

As if to answer him, he saw Aelius suddenly straighten and stare off into the distance. The binoculars followed his gaze to behold a figure running upriver toward the camp.

"Well?" Aelius snapped once the girl had neared him.

"There's no other source of water other than the river, Aelius," she reported. Aelius swore and kicked at a pebble with his foot.

"Well, I bet you anything this river is poisonous! So, if we don't find something else soon, we'll all dehydrate to death!"

Indigo cocked his ear and listened. So, they didn't know about the pond - though he was sure that it was poisonous too. Besides, the Careers wouldn't dare to brave the cliffs the way they had. More importantly, the Careers probably had no idea about the iodine. Even if they had some (of this Indigo wasn't sure) they must not have figured out what it was, let alone how to use it.

"What about District 8?" Aelius barked, causing Adara to gasp. Though he was sure the Careers could not hear, Indigo fearfully clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I found some bones and skin left over from what might have been a rabbit about 3 miles from here by the river. It looked like it had had its throat slashed."

Aelius grinned. "Well, that's the best news I've heard all day. We'll go poke around over there first thing in the morning. It's getting too late now."

The Careers prepared for the night a few hours later. Indigo and Adara stayed right where they were. It was too risky to go back to the cave. Indigo was unsure if other clues had been left there carelessly, but he wasn't going to go back and find out. Besides, all their equipment was here with them.

The night was bitterly cold. Being out on the flat terrain exposed the District 8 tributes to the harsh wind. They lay underneath the camouflage material, Indigo covering Adara with his own body to give her extra warmth.

* * *

Day 4 in the arena dawned. The Capitol audience was probably itching for blood by now. A feast or Gamemaker trap was on the horizon; Indigo was sure of it. They observed the Careers breaking camp to prepare and search for them. Indigo hoped they might leave the camp unguarded; he was twitching at the prospect of getting to use his old thieving skills. But, no, Aelius was leaving the girl from 2 in charge. He parted from her with a bizarre and unexpected kiss goodbye; the girl looked absolutely delighted at this gesture. Indigo made a face and Adara snorted. _Slut_ , he thought. Then, Aelius and the boys from 1 and 2 took off into the canyon beyond. Indigo turned to Adara.

"I have a plan," he said. "Remember to do exactly as I say." He picked her up and they jogged the last few yards to the waterfall. Quietly, they scaled a short distance down the cliff and then slipped through the cascading water into the caverns behind. It was quick and the girl had not seen them; Indigo had checked. Now that they were concealed, Indigo set Adara down and motioned for him to follow her. They navigated the slick, damp rocks and passageways and - sure as he was breathing - Indigo felt them going downwards. His hunch had been correct. Finally, Indigo spotted the outcropping where Adara had started the Games sticking out beyond the wall of water. He picked Adara up again and they moved through the portal of deluge and onto the rock. Indigo quickly swung them down so that he was hanging from the rock by his fingertips. The drop was only about 4 feet.

"One…two…three…" he whispered before letting go. As soon as they hit the waves, Indigo seized Adara and dragged them to the bottom of the pool. He waited one, two, three, four seconds for the girl to come and investigate the noise. When no one appeared, the allies surfaced and scanned their surroundings. Indigo frowned. "Stay here," he whispered to the little girl. He silently waded out of the pool and around the giant metal horn, the sword in his hand. The girl sat with her back to him, but she did not stir. A snore suddenly rumbled from her. She was asleep.

Indigo grinned. Oh, this was too perfect. Creeping up as only a master theif knew how, he got behind her and plunged the sword through her chest. The girl awoke instantaneously and made to scream but Indigo muffled her.

"Adara!" he hissed. "Come out; hurry!" Adara appeared and sized up the situation at once. Seizing her crossbow, she fired an arrow right into the girl's temple. Indigo drew forth the sword and stabbed her through the neck. The Career gave one final twitch. She was dead.

"Ok," Indigo said. "Now, let's grab as many backpacks-"

BOOM. Indigo froze; he had completely forgotten there would be a cannon. "Grab as many as you can and let's get out of here!"

There were enough backpacks for all 24 tributes to have two. Adara and Indigo grabbed as many as they could carry and ran back to the waterfalll. Indigo hoisted Adara up onto the outcropping and quickly followed. They disappeared through the falls and ran through the passageways at top speed. They had just reached the place to climb out and scale the last bit to the top of the cliff when Indigo heard a scream. Aelius. The young thief held Adara back and they listened.

"What happened?" Aelius was ranting.

"We got bamboozled, you idiot, that's what happened!" said another male voice. Indigo couldn't tell if it was the boy from 1 or 2.

"I knew when we couldn't find anything where Virginia said that something was wrong!"

"This is all your fault!" said a third voice. "We haven't had anything to drink in three days, our food is disappearing rapidly, a good number of backpacks have now been stolen and my district partner's dead! Why did we even pick you as the leader?"

"Is that a challenge?" Aelius' voice was dangerously low.

"Maybe it is!"

The next second, there were sounds of weapons clashing and screams. Horrible screams. Then- BOOM. BOOM. Indigo and Adara looked at each other. They both knew who had been the last one standing.

"We're trapped!" Indigo hissed.

Adara glanced about wildly and then paused. "No, we're not!" She showed him a small tunnel carved into the rock; it looked just big enough for him to crawl through. Adara hoisted herself into the space and began to crawl. Thinking fast, Indigo lashed a backpack to her foot and then the rest of the packs together, forming a chain.

"Go!" he ordered. "I'll follow!" The backpacks disappeared up the tunnel and at last Indigo pulled himself into the space. He didn't even know where this passage was going, but he just hoped it was toward daylight.

After about 20 minutes of crawling, light began to penetrate the tunnel. Indigo finally crawled into sunshine; Adara helping him out the rest of the way. The pair ran along the cliff tops until they reached their camp. They collapsed to the ground, panting.

"How…how much did we get?" Indigo wheezed. Amazingly, they had made off with about half a dozen packs apiece. An assortment of weapons, food and tools were found - including several more bottles of iodine. They could go for days drinking water from the pond safely.

"Look!" Adara pointed. Peering over the edge, they saw Aelius pacing back and forth like a tiger in a cage. He was MAD. Indigo hoped with all his heart that Woof and Savera wouldn't send a sponsor gift right now. They had plenty of supplies to go off of, and if Aelius saw a parachute…

Thankfully, nothing came except the night. The faces of the other Careers appeared in the sky. Indigo slept fitfully that night. Sooner or later, Aelius would find them and exact his revenge.

* * *

Yet another morning in the arena came. When Indigo used the binoculars to check on Aelius, he found the camp deserted.

"He's gone!" he reported to Adara, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"He started early to go hunt us," Adara replied flatly, as she cooked a small bird they had attacked unawares. Her voice was older somehow; the arena had aged her more in five days than she probably would have in a complete lifetime.

"Maybe we can go down and steal more packs."

"We barely got out alive yesterday! Besides, I bet Aelius has booby-trapped the place by now," Adara chastised. She sighed. "Indigo, we can't hide from him forever. He'll find us eventually."

"But he's not going to find us," Indigo said after a moment's silence. "We are going to find him."

The pair set off on their journey. They walked the rest of that day and slept on the cliffs at night. On the sixth day, they continued. At around noon, Indigo stopped and flung both of them onto the ground. They now crawled to the edge. Aelius was beginning to make a fire and cook a meal. Even from so high up, his figure looked imposing.

Indigo's mind raced. How could they kill him? Then, he came up with a plan.

"We're going to try another sneak attack; it worked for us the last time. Only this time, under cover of darkness. When night falls and Aelius goes to sleep, we scale down the cliff and approach his camp. Then, we kill him before he can say 'Panem'!" Adara nodded and they thus prepared for the dusk.

* * *

Once the anthem had played that night, the District 8 tributes waited until Aelius had curled up and his fire dimmed. Then, Indigo began the perilous climb down the cliff face, Adara on his back. After about an hour, they reached the canyon floor and stealthily approached the camp. Both observed Aelius' sleeping form.

Without a word, Indigo drew a sword from his belt. After a moment, he plunged the blade into the Career's stomach hoping it would be a fatal blow.

WHAM! Aelius thrashed awake as he howled in pain, his fist connecting with Indigo's jaw. Indigo was sent careening backwards, skidding for several feet along the rocky plain. When he undazed himself, he saw Aelius loping about, the sword still in his stomach. Adara was crawling backward, screaming. In the firelight, it looked like a bizarre pagan sacrifice. Aelius pulled the sword from his stomach and whirled on Adara. "You little-" He quickly brought the hilt of the sword down upon her skull with a CRACK!, cutting off her scream. The little girl fell back onto the rocks, dead.

"ADARA!" Indigo yelled, and tears sprang to his eyes at the loss of his friend. Aelius spun at the sound. He snarled and ran at Indigo, roaring "You are dead, 8, just like your partner!" He tackled Indigo, and the pair wrestled desperately on the ground. Aelius brought the sword down on Indigo again and again, but Indigo managed to block the blade with his arm. With the other, the thief groped and managed to get his hands on a knife in his belt from behind his back. As Aelius came again, expecting Indigo's block, Indigo dodged and whipped the knife around and into the Career's heart.

Aelius staggered backwards, gargling as Indigo got to his feet, his left arm bleeding profusely. At last, Aelius toppled forward and the cannon sounded. Indigo rushed to Adara's side and held the little girl in his arms, too sad to listen to Claudius Templesmith announce his victory:

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winner of the 25th Annual Hunger Games: Indigo Weaver, from District 8!"


	7. Chapter 7: From Rags to Riches

**Chapter 7: From Rags to Riches**

The choppers came to collect the dead and return Indigo to the Capitol. Doctors immediately set to work to remove the tracker and heal Indigo's arm and anything that remained to be done on his leg. When the thief-turned-tribute-turned-victor stumbled off the plane, he found Savera and Woof waiting for him.

"Indigo!" Savera squealed, pulling him in for a hug the way a mother would her son. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart!" Woof clapped him on the back.

"Way to go, boy!" As Capitol folks and reporters then swooped down to offer their congratulations, Indigo didn't notice his mentors smile at each other and hold hands.

Preparations were made for Indigo's final interview with Caesar and the presentation of his crown. The festivity was great, until Indigo was forced to watch the entire replaying of his Games, from the bloodbath to his and Adara's final stand against Aelius. Indigo did not even try to hide the tears as Adara died, and the audience seemed touched by his humanity. President Dore placed the crown on his head, and suddenly, the victors of Dsitrict 8 were on their way home.

Mayor Quaillen threw a party for the district's new hero, though many of the townsfolk were not pleased to see Indigo back alive and well. Indigo tried to ignore this, and actually found it amusing when the Peacekeepers were made to serve him dinner.

Winter was there before anyone knew it, and with it came the Victory Tour. Parties were held throughout Panem and District 8 was given enough food to last everyone an entire year.

* * *

Indigo gradually began to settle into his new life as a Victor. With a sprawling house in the Victor's Village and as much money and possessions as he could ask for, his thieving days were definitely behind him. Of course, he now had to mentor future District 8 tributes (which he resented) but the only pleasure he took from it was that he and Woof now alternated training the male tribute. Indigo was glad to give the young man a break. After almost a decade of doing it alone, Woof had earned it.

One winter day, about two years after his victory, Indigo walked into Woof's house to find him and Savera kissing ferociously at the table. The boy dropped the groceries he had bought for their weekly dinner together in shock.

"What are you two doing?!" he cried. Savera and Woof broke apart tenderly, and though Savera blushed and looked flustered, she waved Indigo off.

"What does it look like?" she grinned. "We're necking!" Indigo gathered the food and a meal was quickly prepared. As the victors ate, Indigo said, "You know, you could've told me. When did…this…um…" he gestured between his mentors.

"Oh, ever since your Games," Woof shrugged. Indigo could only laugh.

That spring, the whole of District 8 gathered in the Village for a special ceremony. Indigo was dressed in a tux, serving as best man. After signing an official parchment, though Savera had decided to keep her maiden name, she and Woof stood at the altar. Woof brought his face close to hers and kissed his bride gently. Savera practically pounced on him and devoured his lips as the district devolved into cheers and wolf-whistles. After a party at Woof's place (the newlyweds would split time between the two houses that were right next door to each other), someone called out, "Y'all better get ready for the 33rd Games!"

"Why?" Savera asked, pausing in a dance with her new husband. "It's not for another five years!"

"That's when it's our turn again!" chortled Mayor Quaillen. "We've won every 8 years since the Games started - it's our lucky number!" Everyone laughed and Indigo smiled. That was indeed true.

That evening, Indigo was preparing for bed when Savera appeared in the doorway.

"Shouldn't you be with Woof?" Indigo smiled.

"We've fucked twice already; he can wait five minutes," she dismissed. She then set about helping the boy into bed. Indigo would have said something about being too old, until it dawned on him that this had never happened to him before. Savera wished him goodnight and ruffled his hair affectionately. As she made to leave, Indigo sat up.

"Savera?" and here he blushed. "…May I call you Mom?" Savera smiled and began to pepper his face with kisses, Indigo trying and failing not to giggle. That was a yes. The boy fell asleep that night imagining District 8's victory in the 33rd Hunger Games.


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

District 8 did not win the 33rd Hunger Games. In fact, District 8 would not have a single win since Indigo's for decades to come.

Early one morning, the Peacekeepers rapped on Indigo's door. "Weaver! Wake up! It's reaping day. We want you dressed and ready in half an hour!"

Indigo groaned and rose from bed. Of course. Today was the reaping for the 61st Hunger Games - had he really been mentoring for three and a half decades? Now at 52, Indigo still could move the way he once did, but only slightly slower.

The man emerged from his house and was escorted by Peacekeepers to the fountain in the center of the village. There waiting for him were Woof Casino and Savera Inchcape. Both were aging and their hair had begun to gray. At 70, Savera now seemed more like a grandmother than an adopted mother; she now walked with a cane. Wrinkles had recently begun to appear in 61-year-old Woof's face. Both hugged their surrogate son warmly. The trio began the march to the district square; Indigo chanced a look at the District 8 tribute graveyard as they passed it. Among those headstones was the grave of his long-gone friend Adara. Every year after the Games, he had made it a tradition to lay flowers atop her final resting place.

The reaping in the Square took all of fifteen minutes. Quaillen had been replaced a while back by none other than Mr. Nadiri, Adara's father, having been promoted from his job at the factory. Though the old man played his part well, Indigo could trace a hint of resentment in his presenting - the only able expression over his daughter's death oh so long ago.

"Yoryu Gating!" he called, and a boy of 18 took the stage. "Cecelia Sanchez!" The girl, also 18, joined him.

"We're gonna lose…again," Indigo groaned, earning a swat from Savera.

"Don't say that when they're standing right there!" she reprimanded angrily.

"Mom, I've been doing this for so long, I can tell a losing tribute just by looking at them!" Indigo countered. "Neither of them are going to be able to hack it!"

"Then we train them as best we can in three days and cast our lot with whoever seems better prepared!" Woof snarled as he leaned across them. The entourage was quickly led to the train.

It would come as a total shock later to District 8 when Cecelia Sanchez went on to win that Games, delivering their first win in over thirty years. It would be a shock when, eight years later, Indigo Weaver would die of a heart attack at the tender age of 60. And it would be an absolute shock when, for the Third Quarter Quell, victors would be forced back into the arena, including Cecelia and old Woof. And the greatest shock of all would come when a girl victor from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen would lead Panem to revolution and destroy the Hunger Games forever.


End file.
